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As first reported by CTV News, and covered by the Globe and Mail and the CBC, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced the appointment of Justice Andromache Karakatsanis and Justice Michael J. Moldaver to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Justice Karakatsanis who will become the first Canadian of Greek descent to sit on the Supreme Court, most recently served at the Ontario Court of Appeal Court, having been appointed in March 2010. Prior to her tenure at the Court of Appeal, she presided as a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, a position she held since 2002.

Her appointment comes with little surprise as she was considered a front-runner for one of the two Ontario positions left vacated by the departures of Justices Binnie and Charron. The prevailing opinion was that her qualifications, which include almost a decade of providing reasoned and moderate jurisprudence, a deferential approach to legislation, her legal background, and her fluency in English and French, were all key assets that Prime Minister Harper was looking for in his next appointees.

Madam Justice Karakatsanis brings with her a strong and diverse legal background and a dedication to public service. Since getting called to the Bar in 1982, Justice Karakatsanis has served as a law clerk to the Chief Justice of Ontario at the Ontario Court of Appeal. She practiced criminal, civil and family litigation as a founding partner of the law firm of Sotos LLP. She has served as Deputy Attorney General, Secretary of the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat and Secretary of the Cabinet and Clerk of the Executive Council. She has also previously held the position of CEO at the Liquor Licence Board of Ontario.